


In the Quiet

by Kika988



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Not Epilogue Compliant, Pre-Relationship, Sleepy Cuddles, but they both know it's headed there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-26 10:03:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18280883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kika988/pseuds/Kika988
Summary: Shiro is still stewing over the lost opportunity when he palms the pad by his door and steps inside to see a form sprawled across his couch. He blinks in surprise, but it doesn't even occur to him to be alarmed; only one other person has access to his quarters, and it's the one person he wanted to see tonight more than anyone else.Shiro and Keith are both busy men, but sometimes a moment of quiet is all they need for things to feel right.





	In the Quiet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [perfectlyrose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectlyrose/gifts).



> I took some prompts on Twitter, expecting them all to be super-short flash fiction-style things, and... then this happened. Thanks for the great prompt, Kelsey!
> 
> Thanks to [zombietime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombietime/pseuds/zombietime) for the beta!

As it turns out, being big damn heroes makes for a lot of work, even after the official end of the war. There's lots of political finagling to do, and plenty of rebel factions that like to try to see how much the Coalition will let them get away with. Shiro and Keith both split their time between making nice with foreign (and alien) dignitaries and zipping off into space to provide aid to those who need it. 

They're doing a lot of good, helping a lot of people. Neither of them would change that for anything, but it means they rarely have time to see each other. There's more that needs to be done than there are people to do it, so it's rare that they have the luxury of being in the same place at the same time, and when they _are_ , it's usually in a meeting or public appearance. 

Shiro misses Keith when he's not around. They text on their comms constantly, and vidchat almost every day when they're within range, but it's not the same as having him there. 

That's bad enough on it's own. It gets worse, though, after Keith drops the bomb, oh-so-casually, in the middle of a text conversation. 

'Hey, next time we're in the same place, can we try to find some time together? There's something I wanna talk about.' 

And… well, Shiro's not an idiot. He's a disaster sometimes, especially when it comes to relationship things, but he's not blind, and so he has an idea of what Keith wants to talk about. Their friendship has grown and changed a lot over the years, but they've been hovering at the precipice of something different for a while now -- it's really just been a matter of who would take the leap first. 

It's two weeks after that message before Keith docks his cruiser in an Atlas hangar bay again. Shiro's in a meeting with some Xulian leaders when he gets the message, and it's all he can do to focus on the proper eye (two of the three eyes are considered rude to look at in Xulian culture, and that was _not_ a mistake he intended to make again) as the blue-skinned alien droned on about hydrogen conservation and the pressing need for more communications arrays in their system. 

Three hours later, Shiro finally escapes, after promising slightly more than the Coalition would likely be happy with. He sighs when he looks at his datapad; it had been late already when Keith had arrived, and now it's more like the wee hours of the morning. Keith has almost certainly already given up and gone to bed, and Shiro can hardly blame him. He can't help but be frustrated at the missed opportunity; he has meetings all day tomorrow, too, and he doubts Keith will be here very long before either the Blade or the Coalition has him flying off somewhere undoubtedly important. 

He knows the conversation they're going to have. He knows where it's going to go. He just wants to _get_ there -- the tension of waiting is driving him crazy, and honestly he just wants to stop dreaming about holding Keith and maybe get to _do_ it for a few minutes before they're both swept away again.

He's still stewing over the lost opportunity when he palms the pad by his door and steps inside to see a form sprawled across his couch. He blinks in surprise, but it doesn't even occur to him to be alarmed; only one other person has access to his quarters, and it's the one person he wanted to see tonight more than anyone else. 

Keith is laying on his back on the couch, arms up over his head, one foot flat on the ground. It looks as if he flung himself onto the couch and then fell asleep without so much as moving a muscle. His hair is in a ponytail, but a few strands have escaped, framing his face in wispy waves that Shiro's fingers itch to touch. 

In fact, it's really not just his fingers. There's nothing Shiro wants more than to curl up next to Keith and soak in his presence. There's not really enough room for that on the couch, but… well. Keith's always been stronger than he looks. 

Shiro toes off his boots, leaving them beside the door, and drapes his uniform jacket over the back of a nearby chair before gently lowering himself onto the couch. Keith shifts slightly as Shiro works his way onto the couch, the two of them slotting together easily with Shiro's head on Keith's chest. Keith rumbles deep in his chest and brings one arm up around Shiro as if to help anchor him in place. 

It shouldn't be comfortable. Shiro's legs are sticking out ridiculously over the arm of the couch, and Keith's hip is digging into his stomach. The button on his uniform pants is jabbing him, and he's going to have some weird patterns left on his cheek from Keith's Blade uniform -- but Keith is warm and solid under him, and there's nowhere else Shiro would rather be. He barely has time to register all those small discomforts before he's falling asleep to the soothing sound of Keith's heart beating beneath his ear. 

When he wakes up hours later, he's… not on the couch. It takes him a moment to get his bearings, but he soon realizes he's warm and comfortable in his own bed, and Keith is curled up against him, his breath fanning over Shiro's collarbone from where his face is pressed into Shiro's shoulder. Keith's arm is wound tightly around Shiro's waist, and their legs are so tangled together there's no hope of Shiro escaping without waking him.

It turns out it doesn't matter, though; the change in Shiro's breathing pattern is enough to rouse Keith. 

"Shiro?" he says, his voice sleep-roughened in a way Shiro _really_ can't dwell on right now while they're pressed so close. "You okay?"

"I'm great," Shiro replies quietly. He pauses, then adds, "Did you carry me to bed?" 

Keith grunts, a noise of assent. "I'm pretty sure the arm of the couch was cutting off circulation to your legs." 

"You could have woken me."

"I didn't mind." Keith shifts slightly, his nose brushing Shiro's neck. "Go back to sleep, Shiro."

Shiro hums contentedly, fighting the urge to yawn. "I have meetings in the morning," he says, regret plain in his tone. "If you want to talk-" 

"Later," Keith says, his arm around Shiro's waist tightening. "You're exhausted, and… and I just want to be here with you, for now." 

Honestly, Shiro can't think of anything better. "Do you have another mission soon?" 

"Not for at least a few days," Keith says, and Shiro can feel the curve of his smile against his skin. "We have time." 

He can feel the insistent pull of sleep and knows he'll give in soon enough, but for now he stays awake just a while longer, enjoying the quiet comfort of Keith's presence. They have time. They'll talk, and things will change, but for now, they're both safe, both _here_ , and Shiro is content to simply share the silence with the man he loves.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/B1ackPa1adins) to see me crying about how much I love these boys.


End file.
